Lacing equipment



April 6, 1943. w PRESTON 2,316,102

LACING EQUIPMENT Filed May 23, 1942 INVENTOR,

Frank 145 firm-:0 14,

m, WM, ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE gnomer EQUIPMENT Erank W.'Preston, Paterson, N. J. Application May'z 1942, Serial No. 444,281

10 Claims. (01. 24-140) This invention-relatesto the art of connecting together opposed -1narginal parts of sheet material, as thoseof a garment. According to my invention each of the two marginal parts is prov'idedw'ith a series of loops extending as-a series lengthwise thereof, andthrough thefloops oi the two such series flexible lacing means is reeveci (by which. I mean 'flexible strandportions) whereby to draw said marginal parts more or less closely together. In sofaras the loops are concerned my invention is preferably characterized in one or more of the following ways: A

' By the loops being formed as portions of, tapes or hands to be stitched or otherwise attached to the material and in that sense then constituting the marginal parts thereof-to be joined.

By the loops existing with their opposed free edges extending lengthwise of the series of loops. By each loop existing as one of two superposed plies'so that the other ply willserve as a backing for the lacing means and thus assume its abrading action and ease 'its pressure on the wearer.

By each loop existing asa bulging portion oi the corresponding marginal part.

In the drawing: l l Fig. 1 shows my invention in one form thereof. in plan and partly broken away: Figs. 2 and 3 show in plan fragments of two other forms, a portion in Fig. 3 appearing broken away; l

Fig. 4. showsanotherform in plan and partly broken away; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are edgewise views of alternative ways of forming the loops.

Describing each example as such:

In Fig. 1 let ll be portions of sheet material whose marginal parts to be joined are tapes 2-2 stitched thereto, say each along the line 3. These tapes may be of woven material and each is formed with a longitudinal series of loops 4. The free edges 4a,4b of the loops extend lengthwise of the series in this example. The loops are here divergent or tapering in form, with their outer free edges 4a the longer. Each region occupied by a loop preferably also is occupied by a backing ortion 5 (Figs. 5 and 6) behind and of the-same area as the loop. The loops are here of such dimension crosswise of the corresponding tape as to reach short of what'is to be the latters longitudinal edges. In the weaving the part of the tape between any two of the mentioned regions is maintained single-ply, as at 6 in Fig. 5. or it may be two-ply, as at Go in Fig. 6. But Within each of such regions and to form any loop 4 and mentioned backing portion 5 it is developed two ply, these two plies being detached' from. each other throughout the corresponding said region. The loops of the two tapes are equal in number and alike in form and all spaced at equal intervals. "Thus each of the aforesaid marginal parts maybe regarded as having each of the alternate ones of alined sheet portions thereof that exist as a series which extends lengthwise oisuch part including two superposed plies which together form a loop and connect sheet portons ofsaid part which next adjoin the loop at opposite sides thereof, the latter sheet portions being in'the present example sheet portions actu'allyin said series.

The lacing means'in this example consists of a single strand! which maybe regarded as having had its ends first passed from the inner and toward the outer margins of the tapes respectively through their extreme right-hand loops: then passed back through thenext two loops, crossing each other; and so on until all theloops are penetrated. On completion of this operation,

"when either portion of the strand extending from two tapes together.

In Fig. 2, the tapes and their loops '4 are the same as in Fig. 1 but the lacing meansis as follows: Strand portions8 have bights 8a formed therein at intervals and they have their bights penetrating insucc'ession theloops of therespective tapes, to wit, so that all the bights of either strand portion reach in a direction from the outer toward the inner margin of the corresponding tape; and the bights of one strand portion are intercoupled with the respective bights of the other strand portion between the two series of loops, to wit, by crossing the strand portions.

Of course, even though the loops be tapered some localized strain is imposed by the lacing means on the outer ends of the loops, or the ends of the loops of each series which are the more remote from the other series, and this may in some instances result in the loops being cut or torn and in distortion of the material as a whole, wherefore my invention contemplates, as shown by Fig. 3, so forming the loops as to disperse the strain. Accordingly, the outer end portions of the loops 9 in that figure are formed to flare as shown, or arcuately, or so that interiorly each side 9a, of a loop is deflected from the opposite side in a curve. l designates the strand portions, here assumed to be the same as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is present to show another type of lac ing means and the form of loops preferably used in connection therewith so as to withstand the localized strain which such means would otherwise impose thereon. Each loop I I flares arcuately at both ends (or so that at each end each side of the loop is deflected from the opposite side in a curve), as at Ha. The lacing means comprisestwo separate strand portions l2. Consider either strand portion: It is first. passed through the extreme right-hand loop of one tape; then its two ends are passed through the next or second loops, respectively, of the two tapes, as at a; then such ends are passed through the third loop of the other tape, crossing each other, as at b; and these steps are repeated throughout the length of the equipment. The other strand is reeved in the same manner, starting with respect to the other tape. In this form the lacing means crosses the tapes at such an angle in'each instance as to make it desirable, in;

with a bulge or fullness as shown by Figs. 5 and- 6, leavingthe remainder, or ground, of the material in flat state. Thereby the lacing may be effected with facility.

Of course the lacing means may be reeved through the loops in various ways so long as it is adapted to bring the margins of the material together uniformly.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is: I

1. Flexible sheet material having two opposed marginal parts lying in approximately the same plane and to be drawn together, in combination with flexible lacing means for drawing said parts together, each of said parts having each of the alternate ones of alined sheet portions thereof that exist as a series which extends lengthwise of such part including two superposed plies which together form a loop and connect sheet portions of said part which next adjoin theloop at opposite sides thereof, and said lacing means.

being reeved through successively disposed loops of both said parts and thereby connecting the latter together.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 characterized by each loop being formed interiorly flaring toward a free edge thereof.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 characterized by each loop being formed interiorly flaring toward each free edge thereof.

4. Flexible sheet material having two opposed marginal parts lying in approximately the same plane and to be drawn together, in combination with flexible lacing means for drawing said parts together, sheet portions of said parts existing integral therewith andas loops arranged in series extending and having their free edges extending lengthwise of such parts, respectively, and said lacing means being reeved through successively disposed loops of both said parts and thereby connecting the latter together.

5. Flexible sheet material having two opposed marginal parts lying in approximately the same plane and to be drawn together, in combination with flexible lacing means for drawing said parts together, sheet portions of said parts existing as loops arranged in series extending and having their free edges extending lengthwise of said parts and the portions of the loops of each part remote from the other part interiorly flaring, and said lacing means being reeved through successively disposed loops of both said parts and thereby connecting the latter together.

6. Flexible sheet material as set forth in claim 5 characterized by said sheet portions existing integral with said parts i 7. Flexible sheet material having two opposed marginal parts lying in approximately the same plane and to be drawntogether, in combination with flexible lacing means for drawing said parts together, integral sheet portions of said parts existing as loops arranged in series extendingand having their free edges extending lengthwise of said parts and the portions of the loops of each part remote from and also adjacent the other part interiorly flaring, and said lacing means being reeved through successively disposed loops of both said parts and connecting the latter together.

8. Flexible sheet material having two opposed marginal parts lying in approximately the same plane and to be drawn together, in combination with flexible lacing means for drawing said parts together, each of said parts having each of the alternate ones of alined sheet portions thereof that exist as a series which extends lengthwise of such FRANK W, PRESTON. 

